Management Information Systems in Restaurants

Introduction Restaurants are built of complex systems for buying, storing, preparing and selling food. The well-being of a restaurant depends on its management information systems, which coordinate everything from scheduling personnel to customer service. Restaurant management systems can help to create an ambiance. Restaurant management information systems should make a restaurant more profitable as well as a better place for customers to eat. The manager must be able to determine prices and schedules, make forecasts, perform an ongoing audit of inventory and other company assets, and monitor performance. More and more managers are turning to the computer to provide this information on a timely basis DFD for restaurants The restaurant uses an information system that takes customer orders, sends the orders to the kitchen, monitors goods sold and inventory, and generates reports for management. 0-Level DFD: The Restaurant Management system must consists of the following modules to implement a efficient and reliant MIS. 1. General Ledger The General Ledger module is the center of the accounting system. It is a powerful yet easy to use module that can accommodate a single unit restaurant as well as a large multiple unit operation. The General Ledger is automatically updated from all other modules being operated. Both 12 and 13 period accounting are supported. The Trial Balance Report and General Ledger Report provide the necessary documentation and audit trails required of a professional accounting system. Financial Statements can be designed to your specifications by you within the General Ledger module. The optional Management Report Writer gives you the added ability to print complex financial statements that consolidate or compare multiple time periods and units if necessary. Account budgets may be set up and used in forecasting and comparisons to actual activity. 2. Accounts Payable The Accounts Payable module is designed to allow you to better manage your vendor invoices and payments. Inventory purchases that are entered will be automatically updated to the Inventory, Recipe, and Sales Analysis modules without any additional work. Invoices may be entered in summary, detail, or a combination of the two. By entering invoices, you are creating the capability of accumulating unpaid invoices easily at any time. A purchase history by vendor is also maintained, and check payment can be accomplished easily in a method that is convenient for your operation. This module lets you stay on top of your outstanding invoices so that invoices are never paid for twice. 3. Payroll The Payroll module is designed for time entry, printing payroll checks, general ledger distribution and year-end W-2 forms. It can operate on a daily, weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly basis with all input verified, copied, and employee records updated during the End-Pay-Period procedure. Other useful options are included such as payroll history inquiry, earnings summary report, employee payroll history, tip allocation, tip reporting and is integrated to the optional Federal Magnetic Media Reporting module. The module is easy to use due to its one-step nature. After set-up with a General Ledger file and initial data entry, payroll tracking becomes relatively easy. Time is entered, then the register is printed. If corrections are necessary, they can be made to the appropriate entries and the register re-printed. After everything balances, checks and reports are printed and then the pay period can be closed. This module is designed to operate in conjunction with other modules that may be installed. Programs are explained as if the General Ledger module were included. Information is transferred to all integrated modules as a function of the End-Pay-Period procedure or is transferred each month through the End-of-Month posting procedure. 4. Bank Reconciliation The Bank Reconciliation module is used to manage your bank accounts. It is automatically updated as checks are written and deposits are entered. A simple method of canceling checks allows you to reconcile the account to the bank statement in very little time. Multiple bank accounts can be maintained simply and easily. A historical check register is maintained for up to five years for your review. 5. Inventory Control The Inventory Control module is designed to allow you a fast and easy way to keep track of your inventory. You are able to track what you have purchased and what prices you are paying from various suppliers for any length of time. In-house batch production items can be processed along with multiple location transfers. Inventory is first categorized into major classifications that you choose such as meat, dairy and produce. Inventory can be kept on a perpetual basis by entering your purchases for those items and taking a physical count monthly or as frequently as desired to get your actual usage on each item. Inventory may also be kept on a periodic basis which does not require entering all your purchases. The periodic method allows for entry of a physical count and last cost at any point in time and will automatically extend the inventory for you. Both methods provide inventory count sheets by specific storage location and fast inventory count entry methods. The two methods can also be combined to allow detailed control of high cost items and less detailed control of less significant items. 6. Recipe Control The Recipe Control module works hand in hand with the Inventory Control module. It provides you with an organized method of entering your recipes. You can take advantage of the ability to monitor your costs at all times before cost increases erode your profit margins. Unlimited levels of sub-recipes can be maintained very easily. Recipes can include a plate cost for items that you may not want to set up. Recipes can be costed in seconds at Last Cost or Average Cost and can be printed or displayed on the screen. Each recipe can also have detailed preparation instructions set up for use as a training manual. 7. Sales Analysis The Sales Analysis module completes the operations triangle. Both Inventory and Recipe Control are related heavily to Sales Analysis. Menu items are set up and defined at this point. A menu item can refer to a recipe or directly to an inventory item. Daily sales can be entered manually or transferred from a point of sale device if one is available. Sales history is maintained on a daily basis for any number of years. Entering your sales will generate your potential or optimal use of each inventory item and will give you an actual versus potential usage variance. Sales trends can be tracked in a wide variety of methods using the Management Report Writer. Sales Analysis gives you the capability to stay on top of your margins and control them before they can hurt you. 8. Management Report Writing The Report Writer module allows the creation of custom reports wanted by individual companies. The flexibility and adaptability of this module allows for seemingly unlimited variations of report types. This module is limited only by your imagination. Thirty-six columns are available for mathematical and statistical computations (only limited by your printer's capability). Data to be printed on these reports can be drawn from a variety of sources. The most common source is General Ledger and the Report Writer is particularly suited to producing complex financial statements. Reports can also be produced based on data from Sales Analysis or from the Statistics section of the Management Report Writer.

HR Management Essay

Negligent hiring is the potential liability of an employer for actions of an employee who was selected for employment without adequately determining the person’s qualifications for the job. Negligent retention on the other had refers to the prospective liability an employer faces by retaining employees who it knows (or should know) a re not qualified to perform their jobs tasks or have mental or physical conditions or propensities that result in them being hazardous to themselves or others. Discussion  Employers need to do reasonable investigations on the prospective employees work experience, background, character and qualifications to avoid negligent hiring. The doctrine of hiring and retention provides that an employer have a duty to exercise reasonable care in selection and retention of his employees. The employer should be aware of the employee problems that make him or her unfit should avoid negligent retention. The employer should take further action such as investigating, discharge or reassignment. Employers want to be sure their employees are doing a good job, but employees should not have their every sneeze or trip to the water cooler logged. This is where workplace conflict comes to foreplay. Employees are the greatest assets of any company and an employer should put much care in protecting their privacy. Employees should avoid providing all their information to their employers because such information could be used for identity theft as well as carrying out criminal activities such as fraud cases leaving the employee in financial problems. Employers should also ban use of the new technology such as camera phones, digital cameras etc because offensive pictures of workers in private, embarrassing or intimate situations can be taken and sent to the net. Such technology can be used to conduct industrial espionage. In this cue therefore employers do are not obligated under any law to use devices that can intrude on the employees privacy. The employers under the contract terms reserve the blame if the employee get accident or injured during the working term. Under the labor laws the safety of the employees lies on the employer if the employee gets the injury at the point of work. It is the mandate of the Contracting firm to provide safety and health measures at all costs to the working employees who forms the main component assets in the company. WS4DQ1-Merit pay Merit pay is pay compensation given to employee based on his/her productivity. Its based on the assessment of the employee’s productivity. Hoever merit pay is rarely used as most managers use it as a strategy to motivate those indiduals well known to him or her. Merit pay should be given based on competence in work. Hard working employees need to be rewarded; this should base on achieved measurable targets, units. Merit pay should be included as part of organization package for various reasons. One is that merit pay enhances a vibrant competitive workforce and therefore eliminates laggardness in workplace. WS4DQ3-Kenneth Lay Lay was one of the Americas highest paid CEO in America. He was Presidents Bush Treasury secretary . He dumped large amounts of his Enron stock and encouraging his employees to buy more stock. As the highest paid CEO, lay never contributed much to the Organizations success; rather he greatly contributed to its downfall. Thus, he was not entitled to the handsome package he was receiving, as he got filthily involved in scandals that amounted billions of shillings leading to the collapse of Enron. WS5DQ1 Workplace violence can take a heavy toll on a business in terms of liability, lost revenue and employee productivity. Tangible costs-medical bills, Antony fees, lost wages, security cost, rehabilitation and property damage. Intangible costs include; loss of staffs time, staff replacement, company liability, moral issues that affect productivity levels. Preventing work place violence therefore means the management of the human resource should ensure the safety of work place. Work place violence can be prevented by; being always alert-no work place is safe, understanding what the problem is, developing a violence prevention plan and responding to emergency incidents. Such policies as; violence prevention plan should be put in place, the management should be at fore in been alert on any violence incident, developing a good working environment and cultivating on maintaining good teamwork relations. This is because when there is good relation among the workers, there is low chance of violence. WS5DQ2 Federal Osha does not have jurisdiction over those employed by state, county, city or municipal governments. However, several state plans do cover such public sector employment. State with approved state plans and in accordance with section 27-a of the PESH act, New York adopts and enforce occupational safety and health standards in the public sector which are identical to OSHA’s. For instance public schools must comply with same fire protecting standard as private schools, but the standards are promulgated and enforced by the state. The California department of occupational safety and health differs with the federal OSHA agencies in the sense that, states have option to establish regulations for hazards not covered by federal standards or more stringent standards than those promulgated by OSHA, which California does. California state agencies standards cover more ground and stringent than federal OSHA’s. Mainly, California OSHA agencies differ from federal agencies in such areas as; requirement for injury and illness prevention program (IIPP), hazcom standards, permissible exposure limits (PELs) and Ergonomics. OSHA’s has continuously been involved in voluntary protection programs, which has indicated effective management of safety and health protection improvement in employees moral and productivity. WS6DQ3 The involvement of unions in social policy areas and participation in self-governing bodies of national social insurance scheme has been the role of unions in Germany. With the increased importance of private pensions, trade unions have enhanced their collective bargaining role in this area. Besides unions have seized opportunities to enhance their role in collective regulation of state imposed privatization. Trade unions over the recent years have had their membership dwindling ageing of membership and lacking support among young employees. This is because the top management or leaders in the unions have taken it as their platform to pursue their welfare as opposed to the welfare of the members in the collective bargaining. WSDQ3 The NLRB does not include coverage for all workers. These include individuals who are employed as agricultural laborers, domestic servants, parents or spouse, independent contractor, employed as supervisor, employed by an employer subject to railway labor act, employees by federal state or local government and those employed by any other person who is not an employer as defined by NLRB. These employees do not have right to form unions as other workers since they are not within the NLRB jurisdiction. In one case, NLRAB was unsure how to define ‘supervisor’. Individuals who are supervisors would not be included in the bargaining unit potentially represented by unions or allowed to vote in the elections. The court ruled that this NLRB judgment is unfair. The court said there were no statutory basis for excluding ‘’professional or technical judgment’’ from joining unions. The basis of the argument therefore is that each party in work environment has a stake in forming a labor union.

Causes, Kinds, And Effect Of Kidney Disease

Causes, Kinds, And Effect Of Kidney Disease Kidney Disease Kidney Disease is a disease affecting the kidneys and its functions. There are many different forms of kidney disease and various outcomes. In order to recognize kidney disease, there are many symptoms that someone would be able to recognize. There are 3 main causes of kidney disease that can be fatal to a person’s body. Kidney Disease effects many aspects of life and can change someone’s life for the worse. The Kidneys are two organs that are located on the left and right of the spine in the middle of the back. They are in a shape of a bean and about the size of a human fist. The main function of the kidneys is to remove waste and excess fluid from the body. They also regulate the body’s salt, potassium, and acid content. The kidneys produce hormones and vitamins that regulate blood pressure and help the metabolism. Without the kidneys, the body would not be able to function successfully. When diagnosed with kidney disease there are many symptoms that come with it. High blood pressure is most common symptom. Most other symptoms deal with urination and swelling of the body. Symptoms coming from urination include burning or difficulty during urination and increase in frequency of urination. Also, the passage of blood in urine is not uncommon. Puffiness around the eyes, swelling of the feet and hands, and pain in the small of the back is also to be expected when diagnosed. There are many kinds of kidney diseases. The 3 main types of disorders are congenital disorder, chronic disorder, and acute disorder. Congenital disorders are either genetic or developed at a very early age. Chronic disorders develop over many years and are long-lasting. Acute disorders occur very suddenly and are very dangerous. An example of how to develop acute kidney disease is from a blockage of the kidney drainage system. Causes of kidney disease can be developed after a long period of time or something that occurs suddenly. All causes are dangerous and lead to death either from the kidneys are the disease itself. Diabetes and High Blood Pressure are the 2 main causes of kidney disease. Immune system conditions such as Lupus and HIV/AIDS are contributing factors of this disease. When a person is diagnosed with Hepatitis B and C, kidney disease is a very likely possibility. The only cause of kidney disease that is under human control is the consumption of alcohol. This can be very dangerous to every part of a human body but the kidneys are greatly affected. Alcohol prevents the kidneys from maintaining a proper balance of body fluids and minerals. It also damages the kidney cells, changing the structure and function of the kidneys. Lastly, drinking alcohol increases the chance of developing high blood pressure, which is the 2nd leading cause of kidney disease. Disorders that affect the kidneys can be diagnosed by a number of methods. Kidney imaging such as MRIs and X-Rays are the most common method. Blood tests, urinalysis, and renal kidney are a few of the others. Renal kidney is a biopsy done on the kidney where samples of the kidney are taken and tested. All of these tests are used to determine the type and degree of the kidney disease. Through my research, I found out a lot about kidney disease. The thing that most impacted me was how alcohol was the only cause of kidney disease that humans have the control over. I also learned a lot about how the kidney actually works and how much the body depends on the kidneys to survive.

Accommodating English Language Learners in the elementary classroom Essay - 1

Accommodating English Language Learners in the elementary classroom - Essay Example This would help comply with the Federal standard of No Child Left Behind by facilitating English Language Learners’ attainment of Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAO) (Whitsett & Hubbard, 2009). To accommodate English Language Learners in my elementary class, I would acquaint myself with their family backgrounds. This would help me understand some of the things that I should avoid in class in order not to come out as stereotypical thus fulfilling the federal standard of diversity in education. Additionally, I would accommodate English Language Learners in my elementary class by fostering rapport with their parents because they are crucial in the success of these learners. Fostering rapport and liaising with the parents of these learners would facilitate my compliance with Federal legal requirement that accords these parents the right to decline an English Language learner program. Finally, I would accommodate English Language Learners in my elementary class by giving them language acquisition tests that match their level. This would help me prepare them for the federal legal requirement that all learners, including English Language Learners, be subjected to an annual statew ide assessment (Whitsett & Hubbard,

Happiness Inherited or Gained (Nature vs Nurture) Essay

Happiness Inherited or Gained (Nature vs Nurture) - Essay Example There are hundreds and hundreds of things involved in the whole make up of the happiness. Your birth, your health, your parents, your achievements, your relationships etc. And as if all these things were not enough, now it is clear that your genes are also involved in the level of your happiness. responsible for your happiness [1] . The studies conducted on twins and animals show that genes matter a lot when it comes to happiness. However, at the same time these studies have also revealed that it is not just the genes but also the environment that is instrumental in shaping the personality of a human being [2] . This is a good news as it makes us hopeful that we do have a chance of being happy no matter what genes we are carrying. But it is not that easy. To achieve happiness, first of all, we have to understand what happiness is. Only after understanding what happiness actually means will we be able to be happy. Can happiness be taken out of the clutches of scientific studies and taken to a different dimension altogether? Isn’t happiness something beyond the understanding of science? And if not, then can we be courageous enough to be independent of the scientific studies and make our own way towards happiness, no matter what scientists say about our genes? Can we, in short, go beyond nature and nurture and be happy? The answer is ‘Yes’. The only need is to go beyond the strength of the genes and free ourselves of the environmental influence and take a courageous step to embrace the happiness. It is just a matter of decision, that’s it. To understand happiness, we have to understand the different aspects involved in it. We can divide

Global Marketing Of Uniqlo In UK market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Global Marketing Of Uniqlo In UK market - Essay Example The company has got a huge research and development team which helps it to come up with latest designs and trends for producing innovative and creative fashionable clothes for the customers. Thus the company has seen a good amount of growth over the years and has improved its business process more efficient and productive expanding it to every part of the global market. The fashion industry in UK has been one of the most popular and creative industry sectors in the whole country among all other business sectors. The trends in the fashion world in UK have kept on changing with time and new innovative and creative designs have kept developing over the years. This close link has given chance to many new fashion designers to become popular in the market by knowing the latest trend and demand of the customers. This industry contributes to a huge amount to the total UK economy and the amount is approximately  £21 billion, it also creates a huge impact in increasing the spending power of other industries and thus the nearby approximate value of its total impact to the UK economy is around  £37 billion (Hollenson, 2011, pp. 56-63). This industry does employee a huge number of young people in diverse profiles thus helping the country in improving their employment status and making the economy of the country more stable. This industry in UK has got all the departments working in a very efficient manner and thus the production rate is very high and the resources are been utilised in the best possible way. The productivity rate of this industry as in whole is very high compared to other industries in UK. As a result the country’s GDP is continuously rising. Apart from other industries the fashion sector in the country has played a major impact in helping their country’s economic position rise at a constant level (Keegan and Green, 2011, pp. 45-53). The demand of latest fashion brands in the people of UK is very high as a result

Cruise industry in India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cruise industry in India - Essay Example the stars. SIMPLICITY: Planning a cruise is simple; you're on board, nearly all expenses are pre- paid so vacation becomes hassle-free. FAMILY : Ideal for family vacation. PAMPERING. Regardless of your budget, all cruise lines pamper their guests with first- class service around the clock. SATISFACTION : It's a fact that cruises have a higher percentage of satisfied customers than any other vacation experience The cruise industry is the most exciting and fastest growing segment of the travel industry throughout the world today. The cruise market is strong throughout the world and particularly in the USA and UK. Currently, the Caribbean holds almost 67% of the market share in the total global cruise industry whilst the Far East (Asian Region) holds only 2%. The cruise companies targeting Indian customers feel that the cruise market segment in India is now coming of age. Not yet into the number game in terms of passengers, cruise liners have demarcated their market segments and clientele. Realising the competition and the objective, these companies have set their targets towards capturing the vast potential.The Indian travel industry can be virtually described as a melting pot of possibilities. India with its vast beautiful coastline and long historical and cultural traditions, theatre and performing art can be developed as a popular tourist destination for cruise tourism. The emerging trends like the rise in the standard of living, Modern lifestyle, enhanced economic standards, competitive work culture and the revelation of internet based technology in tourism and travel has made the planning vacation easier. Indian information technology... Indian information technology prowess lead to more economic stability and young and highly paid generation are looking for some unique experience. Cruise as depicted above have every component which gives a wonderful experience in a isolated ambience with first class facilities. The base price for a cruise from a short haul has suddenly opened up this segment to a seemingly infinite market. Eying this potential, cruise liners globally have drawing special strategies for the Indian market. Cruise companies are offering designer packages for their target audience. The promotional and marketing strategies are meticulously designed to suit the Indian consumer. Although the cruise liners had made their entry in the Indian market a few years ago, the operators are optimistic about the growth. The growth would be possible only by creating awareness about the entire experience of cruising as they realize that as a product, cruising is fairly new to the Indian travelers. The level of awarenes s with regards to cruising as a vacation option has increased considerably over the last few years. Cruising was considered to be either for the retired and the elderly or the rich and famous. Now-a-days honeymooners, entrepreneurs, senior corporate executives, adventure traffic and families are all part of clientele.

Self - evalation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Self - evalation - Essay Example In the absence of the person and nature of Jesus Christ as God incarnate, the message of Jesus would lose the uniqueness, authority and applicability to man attributed to it. The message of Jesus Christ in turn remains of crucial importance since liberation theology is centered on the message of Jesus Christ. As a sociopolitical movement which interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ as being relational and key to emancipation from adverse or oppressive economic, political and social conditions. For instance, the Sermon on the Mountain places great emphasis on the poor and the less privileged, and thereby setting stage for liberation theology, given that liberation theology is deemed by its proponents as an interpretation of Christian teachings and faith through the hope, struggles and suffering of the poor. Normally, liberation theology critiques the society perceived to be oppressive, interprets the Christian message, through the worldview of the poor and is done by detractors such as Christianized Marxists. In this light, it becomes clear to me, that Christianity is far much interested in man's liberation. Another insight that I gleaned from classroom situation was the liberating power of the message of Christ. This was exemplified in the manner Christianity has been able to break forces, institutions and walls of segregation such as the caste system in India, the color bar in South Africa and racial discrimination and the use of racial discrimination in America, particularly, the slaveholding South. The eradication of these walls of separation is in turn underpinned by the manner in which the Christian doctrine intermarries readily with concepts such as universal brotherhood. The concept of universal brotherhood in the Christian doctrine is rested not only on humanity drawing from Adam as the first parent, but also from Christ, the second Adam bringing humanity into newness of spiritual life and oneness in the family of God. Another value that I gained from the classroom experience is the anthropocentric nature of Christianity and its teachings. Even Levin points out that so integrally woven into the benefit and wellness of man that the Gospel of Christ and the Christian message rest upon man’s welfare. Christ gives out His life in His own volition to secure man’s eternal destiny. Secondly, although salvation that Christ secures for mankind is free and a work of God’s grace, yet the anthropocentric nature of the Gospel is to be manifest in man being benevolent towards his brother, as a testimony to his conversion. Mathew 25: 34-46 and James 2:14-26 underscore the importance of dealing benevolently with the poor and the less privileged in the society as assign of true conversation. Charitable foundations such as Henry Dunant’s Red Cross and Red Crescent, and initiatives such as the ones carried out by St. Francis of Assisi and Mother Teresa draw their inspiration from these lines of teaching (Levin, 25). Aga inst this backdrop, I can say confidently that the classroom experience has helped me gain a wider scope of the role Christianity plays in dispensing socioeconomic and political emancipation and empowerment. Part 2 Self -Evaluation about Community Based Learning Using the Reflections Paper Sent [1, 2 3 of Hallmarks (immigration justice)] One of the values that about community

In-class essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

In-class - Essay Example There are those people who interest rests in chemistry and will be content reading materials that delve in bombs, cyanides and other dangerous elements and chemicals. There are others whose interests’ rests in cookbooks, horror novels, politics of the day, and sports amongst other genres. However, it is upon the writer to pen down their writings in coherent, cohesive and accurate manner that does not show a whim of bias. A writer has the ultimate responsibilities to pen down their pieces in an accurate and sober manner without any undue influence from any person or institution. Ultimately, a writer should pen down written pieces to change their readers into better human beings. The writer through their writing should advocate living within the reality and nature of the present existence. Importantly every piece penned down by a writer should be ultimately geared towards inspiring readers, without necessarily being taking sides in competing situations. In fact, it is often said that writers should be the referees of the present world, pointing out wrongs and rights amongst us. Writers provide their readers with wisdom and strength to confront and fight potential troubles. In a way they should help their readers to learn how to have a control over their own destiny. They create and build onto the legacy of the world through writing, through showering tem with hope, love and joy. Writings may have a me ssage that entertains, informs, promotional, educative, ultimately the message needs to be sincere to the ears and eyes of their readers. The real responsibility of a writer out there is to have their message written is inputting the message in a cohesive and coherent manner. At least, good writer should live by this maxim, how else would a writer pen down their piece if it is intended to gather dust in a shelf and rot a way. Poorly written work discourages intuition of the messages intertwined in them, and they end up performing the extreme opposite of

How Information Give You Competitive Advantage Essay Example for Free

How Information Give You Competitive Advantage Essay Importance of information value chain for a competitive business venture The Information Value Chain (IVC) is a concept developed by Sebastian Schwolow and Mikkel Jungfalk Andersen focusing on information, management, organisation and communication. Information is abundant and need to be filtered, managed for truly use as valuable information which is scarce, costs time and money. Effective management of information can reduce these costs and result in a true competitive advantage Producing, maintaining and nurturing valuable information requires a structured approach such as Information Value Chain. IVC involves defining information Requirement, Acquisition, Processing and Distribution with the secondary support of HR, IT infrastructure, Knowledge Management and Information Governance to convert abundant information for valuable information for use or decision making. How IVC Gives Competitive Advantage An important concept that highlights the role of IVC in competition is the â€Å"value chain† by Michael E. Porter. This concept divides a company’s activities into the technologically and economically distinct activities it performs to do business. We call these as â€Å"value activities.† A business is profitable if the value it creates exceeds the cost of performing the value activities. To gain competitive advantage over its rivals, a company must either perform these activities at a lower cost or perform them in a way that leads to differentiation to charge premium price. (Porters Generic theory of Differentiation, Cost Leadership, Focus Strategy) Porters Value Chain Analysis (VCA) helps to identify sources of Sustainable Competitive Advantages (SCA) for a company over its competition by looking at the value activities in a broader perspective. Porter Identified a set of interrelated generic activities common to a firm namely Inbound Logistic, Operations, Ou tbound Logistics, Marketing Sales and Service which facilitated by support activities such as Procurement, IT, HR and Infrastructure. IVC helps to identify the sources of SCA in each Value activities in Porters VCA. By focusing each Primary Value Activities in the Porters Value Chain. How well you identify, Acquire, Process and Distribute your information with proper Information Governance and Knowledge Management under each Value Activities such as Inbound Logistic, Operations, Outbound Logistics, Marketing Sales and Service, against the competition will give you the sources of competitive advantage in much broader sense.

Tackling Fraud in the Workplace

Tackling Fraud in the Workplace Subject Who to trust? Tackling Employee Fraud   Chapter 1: Introduction With globalization and the increasing use of technology, the problem of fraud and its great complexity has become an enormous concern for the businesses. The businesses not only attack by unknown distance fraudsters but it suffers from insider fraudsters too. This study will outline the internal employee fraud, its measurements and controls within the businesses. The fraudsters, that they can be operators, managers, directors or even owners of the businesses. Insiders fraud became mutual and businesses are alarmed identifying methods to reduce the workplace fraud. Even though fraud cannot be eliminated completely as because of its nature, Brooks, Button and Frimpong (2009) stated that understanding lack of awareness of deception tactics, techniques and calculating fraud will help decrease its amount. There are some approaches to prevent fraud activities to decrease its influences, detect fraud risks and cope with them. However, are these approaches enough to stop fraudulent activitie s within the businesses? This research will examine broad range of secondary data that sources retrieved from both government and private sector organisations, financial and anti-fraud organisations publications with the purpose of measure the existing condition of tackling with the workplace fraud, trends and, it will search for possible developments that might result in a decrease amount of dishonest activities and loss to build an better confidence and trust within the organizations. Background Stoy Hayward (2008) underlined that the main risk to organizations was not from outside fraudsters, but from employees and managers, calculated for 46% of deception cases and loss of companies  £541 million. This formed %77 of the total of fraud (Hayward, 2008 cited by Smith, 2011). CIFAS study claimed that employee fraud has been even more increasing concern lately. In 2015, members of CIFAS recorded and identified more workplace fraud cases than ever before. More than 320,000 instances were identified and the figure increased more by 16% than the figures for 2014. (CIFAS, 2016) In this perspective, regardless sizes of companies, there is a need to understand workplace fraud and raise a question why and how it occurs who more likely to commit this crime and finally what can be done to reduce the amount of workplace fraud cases. Workplace fraud is equally problematic and expensive to reveal, even once it is realised. For that reason, organisations must to stop fraud activities at the first place before its occurrence. However the question is how to do this? Better understanding of workplace fraud and employees might help to reduce these high level of workplace fraudulent activities. Research aims Research objectives (3 or 4) The broad aims of this research are to enhance the understanding, assessing the nature of workplace fraud and organisational measures to address the problem. It will be addressed with reference to three specific objectives. To explore the nature of insider fraud in the workplace (Chapter 3 title) First objective seeks to establish the nature and scale of insider fraud, its definition, and identifying types of workplace fraud and understanding perpetrators mind and behaviours, examining what is already known. To assess how effectively organisations are addressing the problem (Chapter 4 title) Second objective is to assess how effectively organisations are addressing the problem. It will also look into types of measurement and their strengths and weakness addressed with reference to the literature in order to examine what improvements could be implemented. To make recommendations on how organisations can be better equipped to manage the challenge of insider fraud. (Chapter 5 title How organisations manage to fight insider fraud) Third objective is concerning to make recommendations on how organisations counter fraud capability can be better equipped to manage the challenge of insider fraud. Chapter 2: First thematic chapter related to 1st objective The nature of insider fraud in the workplace Introduction This chapter outline the nature and scale of insider fraud, its definition, and identifying types of workplace fraud and understanding perpetrators mind and behaviours, examining what is already known. What is fraud? There is no global definition of fraud. Numerous definitions of fraud can be found in the legal and professional literature on the subject. However all of them contain the common notion of fraud being either theft by deception, or trickery. Thus, Stephen (1996): Although the words fraud and corruption are often used interchangeably, a strict distinction between the two will be maintained in this paper and the focus will solely be on fraud. I believe that it is important to make this distinction and not to collapse the distinction between the two related phenomena. The reason for making this distinction is that corruption is associated with the misuse of public positions and consequently mostly associated with the public sector and public officials. As a result of these connotations corruption can be painted as something that affects only the public sector and public officials. By collapsing the distinction between fraud and corruption, fraud is equally being portrayed as something that mainly affects the public sector and public officials. This, however, is not the case. Fraud is a phenomenon that can occur in both the public and private sectors. It further is not a phenomenon in which only public officials are involved, but any employee or even outsiders can be perpetrators of fraud. Furthermore, corruption implies third-party involvement, while fraud does not necessarily imply third-party involvement. In the case of corruption employees violate their duty to their principals by colluding with a third party. Instead of fulfilling their obligations to their principals they abuse their positions by either accepting or demanding a bribe offered by or demanded of a third party. This is not the case in fraud. Here employees or even persons from outside the organization can commit fraud on their own initiative. Because there is not necessarily third-party involvement in fraud, it is much more difficult to detect. Third-party involvement always provides an immediate source of information that someone abused his or her position as employee. Exactly because fraud lacks this third- party involvement, it is more difficult to detect it and consequently a different approach is required to identify and combat it. Fraud within organ izations can be defined as intentional deception by concealing or misrepresenting information that harms the financial interest of another person(s) and benefits the financial interests of the perpetrator.  This differs from corruption, which can be defined as inducement by improper means to violate ones duty towards ones principal resulting in harm to the interest of another party and in financial benefit for the perpetrator. Because corruption has the element of inducement by a third party, it is often associated with bribery. 2. Understanding Fraud In order to fight fraud it is imperative first to gain a proper understanding of the phenomenon. Important work in this regard was done by Coleman.* In his book. The criminal elite: the sociology of white-collar crime, he contends that there always are three dimensions to fraud-motive, opportunity, and a lack of feelings of guilt. A brief discussion of each of the three dimensions follows. 2.1. Motive In order to commit fraud one must have a sufficiently strong motivation for doing it. The aspirant fraudster is aware that s/he is about to commit an illegal deed that might result in penalties of some sort (e.g. dismissal, fines, and imprisonment). They thus should have a sufficiently strong motive for perpetrating fraud despite the fact that they know it is illegal and despite the fact that they know it might result in them being punished for doing it. 2.2. Opportunity Opportunity for fraud is, according to Coleman, enhanced by three factors. First, the person must be in a position of trust or must have access to persons in positions of trust. Second, the person must have knowledge of the control systems of the company in order to be able to beat them. Third, the person should have access to the assets of the company. The combination of these three factors creates the opportunity for committing fraud. 2.3. Lack of feelings of guilt Colemans third condition for fraud is that the perpetrator should not be deterred from his/her actions by feelings of guilt. Given the unique characteristic of fraud, viz., that most perpetrators commit fraud repeatedly, it is evident that a lack of feelings of guilt is a typical feature of fraud. In order to free themselves of such feelings of guilt, perpetrators of fraud should find some form of excuse or rationalization to rid themselves of feelings of guilt that might result from deliberately indulging in illegal acts of fraud. In business terms, fraud is sometimes difficult to define as it extends, for example, from conduct as trivial as an employee having an extended lunch break without permission, to large scale misappropriation of funds by a company accountant involving many millions of dollars. Having an understanding of how fraud is defined, is thus able to help organisations decide how best to respond to individual cases when they arise as sometimes an incident could more appropriately be dealt with as a personnel management issue rather than an issue that require a direct legal response. Coleman, J. W. 1989. The criminal elite. The sociology of white-collar crime. New York: St. Martin. The 2010 Report to the Nations on Occupational Fraud and Abuse takes a comprehensive look at workplace schemes, their perpetrators, how the crimes were ultimately detected and their estimated cost. The report is based on data compiled from a study of 1,843 cases of occupational fraud that occurred worldwide between January 2008 and December 2009. All information was provided by the Certified Fraud Examiners who investigated the cases. The study examines a wide range of misconduct by employees, managers and executives. Occupational fraud schemes can be as simple as pilferage of company supplies or as complex as sophisticated financial statement frauds, the report says. For the first time, the ACFE expanded the study to include cases from countries outside the U.S. The findings include feedback from 106 countries, with more than 40% of the cases happening outside the U.S. The charts and graphs featured here, which are global in scope unless otherwise indicated, are Just a slice of the overall results

Henry Flemming and then Red Badge of Courage Essay example -- essays r

Fear, worry, anxiety, curiosity, distress, nervousness; all emotions of a young, naà ¯ve soldier entering war for the first time. To the reader, this is exactly what Henry Fleming represents. Because Crane never tells us what he looks like, just how old he is, or exactly where he comes from, and usually refers to him as â€Å"the youth† (Crane, 12) or â€Å"the young soldier† (Crane, 14), Henry could be any young many experiencing war for the first time. Throughout the novel The Red Badge of Courage, Henry Fleming goes through many psychological chances, each having a distinct impact on the novel. These changes can be put into three stages; before, during, and after the war. Due to the ambiguity surrounding the character of Henry Fleming, the novel is not just a tale of Henry’s firsthand experiences, but a portrayal of the thoughts, feelings, fears, and development of any young soldier entering any war at any time. Although Crane leaves much to the imagination when it comes to Henry Fleming, he does however reveal quite a bit about his early life. It becomes apparent that as a young boy, Henry grew up on a farm in New York (Crane, 17). Henry was raised by his loving mother after the tragic death of his father (Crane, 15). The occupants of the farm consist of Henry and his mother, who together tackle the necessary workload to maintain the farm and keep it in good condition (Crane, 17). The life Henry has led up to the point when he enters the draft, has been somewhat quiet, protected and sheltered (Crane, 11). This â€Å"wrapped in cotton wool† (Crane, 21) lifestyle could party contribute to Henry’s naà ¯vely distorted views of war and later lead to his misfortune (Weisberger, 22). Crane portrays Henry as a typical young American brought up in the nineteenth century (Weisberger, 22). He has been taught to associate manhood with courage, to dream of the glories of warfare, and to be instinctively patriotic (Breslin, 2). As a result, when the civil war breaks out, Henry volunteers to join the Union Army (Gibson, 61). Immediately, his mother disapproves of his decision, claiming that he would be much more useful on the farm (Crane, 23). At this point in the novel Henry is not mature enough to recognize the validity of his mothers statement (Gibson, 63). "Yer jest one little feller amongst a hull lot of others† (Cra... ...Library, 1993. Delbanco, Andrew. The American Stephen Crane: The Context of The Red Badge of Courage. New Essays on The Red Badge of Courage. New York: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1986. Gibson, Donald B. The Fiction of Stephen Crane. Southern Illinois University Press, 1968. 60-89 Hungerford, Harold. R. The Factual Framework of The Red Badge of Courage. American Literature (34: 4) January, 1963. Mitchell, Lee Clark. New Essays on The Red Badge of Courage. New York: Cambridge U P, 1986 Weisberger, Bernard, "The Red Badge of Courage," in Twelve Original Essays on Great American Novels, edited by Charles Shapiro, Wayne State University Press, 1958, pp. 120-21. EXPLORING Novels. Online Edition. Gale, 2003. Reproduced in Student Resource Center. Detroit: Gale, 2004. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/SRC. Weiss, Daniel. Psychology and the Red Badge of Courage. Stephen Crane‘s The Red Badge of Courage. Bloom, Harold. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. Henry Flemming and then Red Badge of Courage Essay example -- essays r Fear, worry, anxiety, curiosity, distress, nervousness; all emotions of a young, naà ¯ve soldier entering war for the first time. To the reader, this is exactly what Henry Fleming represents. Because Crane never tells us what he looks like, just how old he is, or exactly where he comes from, and usually refers to him as â€Å"the youth† (Crane, 12) or â€Å"the young soldier† (Crane, 14), Henry could be any young many experiencing war for the first time. Throughout the novel The Red Badge of Courage, Henry Fleming goes through many psychological chances, each having a distinct impact on the novel. These changes can be put into three stages; before, during, and after the war. Due to the ambiguity surrounding the character of Henry Fleming, the novel is not just a tale of Henry’s firsthand experiences, but a portrayal of the thoughts, feelings, fears, and development of any young soldier entering any war at any time. Although Crane leaves much to the imagination when it comes to Henry Fleming, he does however reveal quite a bit about his early life. It becomes apparent that as a young boy, Henry grew up on a farm in New York (Crane, 17). Henry was raised by his loving mother after the tragic death of his father (Crane, 15). The occupants of the farm consist of Henry and his mother, who together tackle the necessary workload to maintain the farm and keep it in good condition (Crane, 17). The life Henry has led up to the point when he enters the draft, has been somewhat quiet, protected and sheltered (Crane, 11). This â€Å"wrapped in cotton wool† (Crane, 21) lifestyle could party contribute to Henry’s naà ¯vely distorted views of war and later lead to his misfortune (Weisberger, 22). Crane portrays Henry as a typical young American brought up in the nineteenth century (Weisberger, 22). He has been taught to associate manhood with courage, to dream of the glories of warfare, and to be instinctively patriotic (Breslin, 2). As a result, when the civil war breaks out, Henry volunteers to join the Union Army (Gibson, 61). Immediately, his mother disapproves of his decision, claiming that he would be much more useful on the farm (Crane, 23). At this point in the novel Henry is not mature enough to recognize the validity of his mothers statement (Gibson, 63). "Yer jest one little feller amongst a hull lot of others† (Cra... ...Library, 1993. Delbanco, Andrew. The American Stephen Crane: The Context of The Red Badge of Courage. New Essays on The Red Badge of Courage. New York: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1986. Gibson, Donald B. The Fiction of Stephen Crane. Southern Illinois University Press, 1968. 60-89 Hungerford, Harold. R. The Factual Framework of The Red Badge of Courage. American Literature (34: 4) January, 1963. Mitchell, Lee Clark. New Essays on The Red Badge of Courage. New York: Cambridge U P, 1986 Weisberger, Bernard, "The Red Badge of Courage," in Twelve Original Essays on Great American Novels, edited by Charles Shapiro, Wayne State University Press, 1958, pp. 120-21. EXPLORING Novels. Online Edition. Gale, 2003. Reproduced in Student Resource Center. Detroit: Gale, 2004. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/SRC. Weiss, Daniel. Psychology and the Red Badge of Courage. Stephen Crane‘s The Red Badge of Courage. Bloom, Harold. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.

Mutual Funds Essay -- essays research papers

Mutual funds are an easy, convenient way to invest, without having to worry about choosing individual stocks. A mutual fund can be defined as a single portfolio of stocks, bonds, and/or cash managed by an investment company on behalf of many investors. The investment company manages the fund, and sells shares in the fund to individual investors. When one invests in a mutual fund, they become a part-owner of a large investment portfolio, along with all the other shareholders of the fund. The fund manager invests the contributions when shares are purchased, along with money from the other shareholders. Every day, the fund manager counts up the value of all the fund's holdings, figures out how many shares have been purchased by shareholders, and then calculates the net asset value(NAV) of the mutual fund, which is the price of a single share of the fund on that day. If the fund manager is doing a good job, the NAV of the fund will usually get bigger and the shares will be worth more. There are a couple of ways that a mutual fund can make money in its portfolio. A fund can receive dividends from the stocks that it owns. Also, the fund might have money in the bank that earns interest, or it might receive interest payments from bonds that it owns. At the end of the year, a fund makes another kind of distribution, this time from the profits they might make by selling stocks or bonds that have gone up in price. Unfortunately, funds don't always make money. For example, the fund manager could have made some investments that didn't work out, sold some investments for less than the original purchase price, and there may be some capital losses. Most mutual funds invest in stocks, and these are called "equity funds." Some funds specialize in investing in large-cap stocks, others in small-cap stocks, and mid-cap stocks. Large-cap stocks have market caps of billions of dollars, and are the best-known companies in the U.S. Small-cap stocks are worth several hundred million dollars, and are newer, up-and-coming firms. Mid-caps are somewhere in between. There are also bond funds that purchase bonds issued by corporations, municipal governments, or the federal government agencies. You can invest in tax-free bond funds, just as you can buy tax-free bonds, and the interest you earn is exempt from federal a... ...nd some of the advantages and disadvantages mentioned earlier I found a fund that was interesting. The Domini fund only invests in companies that are part of the Domini Social Index. The index excludes companies that derive more than 2% of sales from military weapons, sell any alcohol or tobacco or own interest in nuclear power plants. The remaining large-cap stocks are then evaluated according to other social criteria: diversity, employee relations, the environment and the product. For example, a company may give a lot of money to community organizations but may be rabidly polluting the environment. In a situation like this, the analyst will carefully consider the pros and cons before including the company in the index and in the fund. Investment requirements were also a factor for considering this fund and the Domini fund requires a minimum initial investment of $2,000. However, the company can waive the minimum investment to a mere $25 each month. The fund has been around sinc e 1991 and has had an average annual return of 20.61% for the last 8 years. It returned 32.99% in 1998 (while the S&P500 returned 28.58%). It invests 25.85% of its assets in technology and is no load.

Comparing the Love in Beloved and Secrets and Lies :: Movie Film comparison compare contrast

Overbearing Love in Beloved and Secrets and Lies Children are protected from the evil in the world from their parents, especially their mothers. An excerpt written by Kahilil Girbran, The Prophet, explains one view of the parent/child relationship. "And a women who held a baby against her bosom said, Speak to us of Children. And he said: Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts, For they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor carries with yesterday. You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far. Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness; For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.† -Kahlil Girbran (17-18) Girbran’s view of childhood is very well written. It explain to parents what place their children have their own thoughts and feelings. Their children are with them throughout life, but the children belong to their own life. Throughout childhood the love in the family can be very strong. The bond between a mother and child is almost unbreakable. It is amazing that a person was produced and lived inside a body for nine months. Parents are described as â€Å"the bows from which your children as living arrows are set forth.† (Gibran, 17) Their job is to raise their children to the best of their ability until they are old enough to be on their own. Mothers never want anything bad to happen to their own kids. Sometimes they are not able to let their children grow up like others. They are very overprotective, wanting to seclude their child from danger. In both the movie Secrets and Lies and in Toni Morrison’s book, Beloved, overprotective mothers are key characters .

Character Building †Forgiveness Essay

Forgiveness; it’s not something people often think about. It’s also not something highly publicized. However, it is hugely important. Forgiving others and being forgiven, impacts our whole lives. Forgiveness can impact your health, your happiness, your relationships, and more. Forgiveness is something all parents need to be sure to take the time to teach their children. Parents are the first line of defense when it comes to children. They may not always listen or grow up remembering and abiding by the morals and ethics you tried to teach them, but a lot of the time they do. I define forgiveness as the letting go of anger, hurt, and hate towards a person (or people) who has wronged or harmed you physically, mentally, or emotionally. Refusing to forgive someone has several repercussions. To begin with, withholding forgiveness can actually harm you physically. By refusing to forgive someone, you are not allowing yourself to heal and move on. In response, you body turns that anger and resentment into stress, high blood pressure, lower immunity, anxiety, and even depression (Mayo Clinic staff, 2011). That same anger can also make you bitter. You will begin to be angry with everyone, you won’t be able to enjoy the present, you life could begin to lack meaning and purpose, make you at odds with your spiritual beliefs, and cause you to lose your connection with others (Mayo Clinic staff, 2011). You have to be careful with your anger so you don’t hurt others around you. You could be threatening your relationships with those you love. If you’re acting like a jerk to those around you, relational interdependence could decrease due to the way you treat them. Also, due to social exchange, they may treat you the way you are treating them. Creating more hate and hurt for you and just making your already bad situation worse. Not forgiving also makes you just as bad as the person who hurt you. The longer you hold onto your anger, the more you will desire revenge. Revenge makes you your worst self and puts you on the same level as that person you hate (Orloff, 2011). This could also be referred to as cognitive dissonance. You believe that it is wrong to hate or hurt someone, yet you are unwilling to forgive the person who has harmed you. The best place for forgiveness to start is with parents. Parents need to start teaching their children about forgiveness in a way they can understand at as young an age as possible. The sooner they are exposed to forgiveness, the more likely they are to retain it, even if they don’t fully understand it yet. A perfect way for parents to teach this to their children is through example. Children are very impressionable and want to be just like their parents when they are young. They will imitate what they have seen. The more the parent demonstrates forgiveness, the more likely the child will remember it as they get older. Being a good example is also a good way to prime your child to forgiveness. If they see it all the time, they are more likely to react in a similar fashion. In my opinion, you cannot talk to your children enough. Talk to them about everything, even if you have to take the time to put it into context that they can understand. Answer all their questions as best as you can. Children will remember. Even better, as they age, your child will continue to come to you to talk if you are always open and available to them. Being an example also applies to any other adult in a child’s life that has contact with them; teachers, coaches, relatives, etc. Forgiveness begins at home. It is very easy to think of a time when you needed to forgive someone. A good example is being out somewhere and having some stranger with whom you have contact who is rude, short, or angry with you. It is natural to feel angry at them for lashing out at your for no reason, but you must forgive them all the same. You have no idea what they are going through. You must remember to have compassion and empathy. They could be severely stressed out, or had someone lash out at them for no apparent reason; and since they did not forgive, they continued to harbor and pass along that anger. Do not allow yourself to be a conduit for negative energy. If you forgive them, which doesn’t mean you say it to them, but inwardly, you will be less stressed yourself and happier than if you had held on to something so menial. Another example, though not so insignificant, is that of childhood abuse. This is a topic I can speak on directly. I cannot stress it enough, you CANNOT hold on to your anger at the person who harmed you. The only person you will hurt is yourself (Creates Personal Growth, 2008). If you allow yourself to forgive them, you can start your healing process and be able to move forward with your life (Creates Personal Growth, 2008). You will also be more apt to have healthier relationships in your life. My abuse was of a sexual nature. I forgave the perpetrator many years ago, and thus far I have had no problems in relationships myself. If you, however, chose to not forgive, but harbor that hate, you will forever be a ‘victim’ in life. You will struggle in many things and build negativity in relationships throughout your lifetime (Wilner, 2011). Forgiving is not always easy, but it must be done. Forgiving does not mean forgetting, nor does it mean denying the other person’s responsibility for hurting you or justifying the wrong (Mayo Clinic staff, 2011). You can, however, forgive the person without excusing the act because forgiveness refers to the actor not the act (Orloff, 2011). You must forgive them for their conscious or unconscious suffering that motivates them to act the way they do. Forgiveness can be especially difficult if the person who hurt you doesn’t admit to their wrong or apologize (Mayo Clinic staff, 2011). Unfortunately, forgiving does not always make the person change their actions or behavior, but it does change your life. Forgiving will give you peace, joy, and healing, and remove any power the person who harmed you had over you. Additionally, if you believe in karma or reciprocity, it makes it easier to forgive. Knowing that even though they may still be doing wrong to you or others, but that you have forgiven them, it is no longer in your hands. It is up to the universe to decide how they and you will be rewarded or punished. Today’s society does not bode well for teaching forgiveness. I can personally think of no kids’ TV shows, cartoons, or movies that teach or display forgiveness. Also, the media tends to show bad examples more than good, reporting focuses more on the negative than the positive in most cases. In general, ‘victims’ get more attention than someone who has gone past the wrong and moved on with their life. By being the victim, they have no responsibility to uphold, and if they do chose to forgive, they become responsible for how they carry on afterwards. Forgiveness is considered weak, and justice strong. Everyone knows the old saying â€Å"an eye for an eye† but as well all know, that â€Å"only makes the whole world blind.† And yet, many religions preach the ‘eye for an eye’ view over unconditional love for others and forgiveness. There is also the old quote â€Å"don’t get mad, get even† that many people know. There are so many proverbs like these that come to mind so easily. Ones about forgiveness are much rarer. I would like to conclude with 7 simple steps for forgiveness and a thought. The steps spell out â€Å"forgive† and are easy to remember: Face the facts, Oust the anger, Remember the offenses, Give benefit of the doubt, Imagine what forgiveness feels like, Value the experience, and Embrace forgiveness (Bennett). Now for my thought, God gave us a great example of love and forgiveness when he put dogs on this earth. Dogs are one of the few creatures who know how to love unconditionally. People think they do/can, but they don’t. Dogs will continue to love their owners/masters even if they are neglected, misused, abused, and beaten. It takes a lot for a dog to start to hate their owners. Almost no matter what you do to them, they will still cower at your feet and try to show you how much they love you. I wish people could be more like dogs. â€Å"Scars remind us where we have been, they don’t have to dictate where we are going.† -Author Unknown References Bennett, C. (n.d.). 7 Simple Steps to Forgive Others & Yourself – Mind, Body, & Soul at Exploring Womanhood. Exploring Womanhood. Retrieved April 30, 2012, from http://www.exploringwomanhood.com/mindbodysoul/forgive.htm Creates Personal Growth. (2008, September 11). The Most Important Reason Why You Ought To Forgive | Creates Personal Growth.com. Creates Personal Growth. Retrieved April 30, 2012, from http://www.createspersonalgrowth.com/335/why-you-should-forgive/ Mayo Clinic staff. (2011, November 24). Forgiveness: Letting go of grudges and bitterness – MayoClinic.com. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved May 2, 2012, from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/forgiveness/MH00131 Orloff, J. (2011, September 8). The Power of Forgiveness: Why Revenge Doesn’t Work | Psychology Today. Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness + Find a Therapist. Retrieved May 2, 2012, from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/emotional-freedom/201109/the-power-forgiveness-even-911 Wilner, J. (2011, August 21). Why Forgiveness is Major Key in Relationship Success | Adventures in Positive Psychology. Psych Central Blogs. Retrieved May 2, 2012, from http://blogs.psychcentral.com/positive-psychology/2011/08/why-forgiveness-is-major-key-in-relationship-success/

Research, Statistics, and Psychology

Without research methods and processes, an unimaginable amount of information would be lost to the world. Though research topics and researcher personalities vary greatly, universal truths or basics of research stand the test of time. In this paper, I examine the role of research and statistics in the field of psychology by explaining several important parts of research. I define research and the scientific method. I compare and contrast the characteristics of primary and secondary data. I also define statistics and describe their role in research.Diverse fields of study use research through the scientific method, primary data, secondary data, and statistics. Professionals use research to investigate topics, discover, and interpret facts. Research is also performed to revise theories. Psychological theories are consistently revisited. One psychologist will create the base of a school of thought, but later psychologists will expand and update the original work. The scientific method i s used in research and is considered necessary for scientific investigation. The scientific method is a series of steps.Researchers identify a problem or area of interest, research to gather information, make hypothesis, empirically test hypothesis with experiments, make changes to hypothesis or tests if necessary, draw a conclusion, and write findings. According to â€Å"Merriam-Webster† (2014), â€Å"Many empirical sciences, especially the social sciences, use mathematical tools borrowed from probability theory and statistics, together with such outgrowths of these as decision theory, game theory, utility theory, and operations research† (scientific method).Psychologists and researchers from other fields can use different types of data. Primary and secondary data are used in research and experiments. Primary data is data collected from first hand experience. A psychologist who observes animal or human behavior is collecting primary data. Secondary data is collected f rom the past, other people, or publications. According to â€Å"Publish Your Articles† (2012), â€Å"It refers to the statistical material which is not originated by the investigator himself but obtained from someone else's records† (secondary data).Psychologists cannot ethically recreate situations of child abuse to learn about psychological dynamics, related stress, and immediate reactions, so referral to past research may be necessary. Primary and secondary data types pose advantages and disadvantages to researchers. Primary data can be more credible, believable, telling, and will better fit the needs of a study. However, primary data requires funding, time, and participants. Secondary data can save time and expenses, and some research will not provide the opportunity to collect primary data.A wealth of secondary data is available, but it can be painstaking to find sufficiently accurate secondary data to use. It can also be difficult for researchers to find secondar y data that precisely fits the desired area of focus. The role of statistics in research is to access and organize research data throughout various fields of study. The summation that statistics provide paints an understandable picture of data. Psychological statistics may tell the percentage of a population that experiences seasonal depression, or what type of childhood environment influences a psychological disorder, like schizophrenia.According to â€Å"Bcps. org† (2010), â€Å"It is important for researchers and also consumers of research to understand statistics so that they can be informed, evaluate the credibility and usefulness of information, and make appropriate decisions† (The role of statistics in research). Researchers must navigate through many different types of variables and levels of measurement in research. Levels of measurement, including rank-order, nominal, and equal-interval measure variables. Tables and graphs may be used to illustrate data, but statistics help researchers draw reliable conclusions.To research is to investigate, whether researching a new topic, or testing an established theory. The scientific method is an integral part of any research. Respected researchers follow the steps of the scientific method. According to â€Å"Merriam-Webster† (2014), â€Å"Principles and procedures for the systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses† (scientific method). Primary or secondary data can be used in research.Primary data is data obtained directly from the researcher. Secondary data is collected from secondary sources like articles, books, and previous experiments. Each type of data has its advantages and disadvantages, and the researcher must choose a data type. According to â€Å"Bcps. org† (2010), â€Å"Statistics is the science of collecting, analyz ing and making inference from data. Statistics is a particularly useful branch of mathematics that is not only studied theoretically by advanced mathematicians but one that is used by researchers in many fields† (The role of statistics in research).The aspects of research reviewed are universal, despite the topic of research. However, research and statistics are undeniably valuable and influential. Human civilization should respect the process and endeavor of research because the word would be extremely different without research. For example, psychological medications and technology would not exist, and the human mind might be considered a hopeless mystery. Research, Statistics, and Psychology Without research methods and processes, an unimaginable amount of information would be lost to the world. Though research topics and researcher personalities vary greatly, universal truths or basics of research stand the test of time. In this paper, I examine the role of research and statistics in the field of psychology by explaining several important parts of research. I define research and the scientific method. I compare and contrast the characteristics of primary and secondary data. I also define statistics and describe their role in research.Diverse fields of study use research through the scientific method, primary data, secondary data, and statistics. Professionals use research to investigate topics, discover, and interpret facts. Research is also performed to revise theories. Psychological theories are consistently revisited. One psychologist will create the base of a school of thought, but later psychologists will expand and update the original work. The scientific method i s used in research and is considered necessary for scientific investigation. The scientific method is a series of steps.Researchers identify a problem or area of interest, research to gather information, make hypothesis, empirically test hypothesis with experiments, make changes to hypothesis or tests if necessary, draw a conclusion, and write findings. According to â€Å"Merriam-Webster† (2014), â€Å"Many empirical sciences, especially the social sciences, use mathematical tools borrowed from probability theory and statistics, together with such outgrowths of these as decision theory, game theory, utility theory, and operations research† (scientific method).Psychologists and researchers from other fields can use different types of data. Primary and secondary data are used in research and experiments. Primary data is data collected from first hand experience. A psychologist who observes animal or human behavior is collecting primary data. Secondary data is collected f rom the past, other people, or publications. According to â€Å"Publish Your Articles† (2012), â€Å"It refers to the statistical material which is not originated by the investigator himself but obtained from someone else's records† (secondary data).Psychologists cannot ethically recreate situations of child abuse to learn about psychological dynamics, related stress, and immediate reactions, so referral to past research may be necessary. Primary and secondary data types pose advantages and disadvantages to researchers. Primary data can be more credible, believable, telling, and will better fit the needs of a study. However, primary data requires funding, time, and participants. Secondary data can save time and expenses, and some research will not provide the opportunity to collect primary data.A wealth of secondary data is available, but it can be painstaking to find sufficiently accurate secondary data to use. It can also be difficult for researchers to find secondar y data that precisely fits the desired area of focus. The role of statistics in research is to access and organize research data throughout various fields of study. The summation that statistics provide paints an understandable picture of data. Psychological statistics may tell the percentage of a population that experiences seasonal depression, or what type of childhood environment influences a psychological disorder, like schizophrenia.According to â€Å"Bcps. org† (2010), â€Å"It is important for researchers and also consumers of research to understand statistics so that they can be informed, evaluate the credibility and usefulness of information, and make appropriate decisions† (The role of statistics in research). Researchers must navigate through many different types of variables and levels of measurement in research. Levels of measurement, including rank-order, nominal, and equal-interval measure variables. Tables and graphs may be used to illustrate data, but statistics help researchers draw reliable conclusions.To research is to investigate, whether researching a new topic, or testing an established theory. The scientific method is an integral part of any research. Respected researchers follow the steps of the scientific method. According to â€Å"Merriam-Webster† (2014), â€Å"Principles and procedures for the systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses† (scientific method). Primary or secondary data can be used in research.Primary data is data obtained directly from the researcher. Secondary data is collected from secondary sources like articles, books, and previous experiments. Each type of data has its advantages and disadvantages, and the researcher must choose a data type. According to â€Å"Bcps. org† (2010), â€Å"Statistics is the science of collecting, analyz ing and making inference from data. Statistics is a particularly useful branch of mathematics that is not only studied theoretically by advanced mathematicians but one that is used by researchers in many fields† (The role of statistics in research).The aspects of research reviewed are universal, despite the topic of research. However, research and statistics are undeniably valuable and influential. Human civilization should respect the process and endeavor of research because the word would be extremely different without research. For example, psychological medications and technology would not exist, and the human mind might be considered a hopeless mystery.

Perceptions Of Cancer In Children Health And Social Care Essay

Cancer is a awful disease none of us would desire to hold. Peoples may hold different general perceptual experiences of malignant neoplastic disease in kids, striplings and younger grownups. Those perceptual experiences may come from the media, from wellness attention suppliers, an overheard narrative or from a member of a household who experienced it, and through these brushs, perceptual experiences of malignant neoplastic disease may be formed. For a 3rd universe state like the Philippines, a delayed acknowledgment of the disease every bit good as forsaking of intervention may ensue partially from misinterpretations and beliefs of incurableness, wholly lending to patient mortality. Misperceptions, and therefore the demands for increased support, may be greatest in a public infirmary with largely patients of low socio-economic position and educational degree. Such patients may peculiarly necessitate support from governmental and non-governmental bureaus every bit good as private sector spouses to prolong intervention. Once public perceptual experiences of malignant neoplastic disease in an country are better understood, targeted educational runs and resources may be better dedicated to assist households in demand and address misperceptions that affect patient attention.â€Å" Reappraisal of related literature and/or â€Å" What is already known about the subject?In developed states, endurance results for kids and stripling s with malignant neoplastic disease have improved significantly over the past few decennaries ; for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, for case, 5-year endurance estimations for kids aged 15 old ages and below have increased from 60 % to up to 89 % ( Smith et Al, 2010 ) . In the Philippines, in contrast, 5-year endurance for childhood malignant neoplastic disease has been estimated to be merely 5-10 % ( Ribeiro et al, 2008 ) . As suggested by surveies in other low-income states, persons ‘ perceptual experiences, beliefs, and awareness refering malignant neoplastic disease may impact intervention decision-making ( Kumar et al, 2010 ) . In the Philippines, in add-on to misperceptions, audiences with unconventional health care suppliers such as faith therapists may be normally practiced ( Gamboa, 1984 ) ( Kimby et al. , 2003 ) , and contribute to holds in intervention, which may in bend worsen results. In developing states the principal cause of intervention failure in kids malignant neoplastic disease is abandonment ( Arora et al, 2010 ) . However, beyond fiscal and transit troubles that lead to intervention refusal and forsaking, perceptual experiences that malignant neoplastic disease is incurable may besides add to put on the line for forsaking. Thus misperceptions about malignant neoplastic disease in each scene should be carefully studied, so that they may be better addressed through instruction, reding and support ( Sitaresmi et al, 2010 ) . A recent qualitative survey on parents ‘ positions on information proviso in childhood malignant neoplastic disease attention suggested that the extent and type of information known to parents about the unwellness of their kid may impact get bying ( Kastel at Al, 2010 ) . Patients themselves may be likewise affected because better support from households through good information may better communicating and patient results. The populace may frequently hold different perceptual experiences of malignant neoplastic disease than the positions of experts ( Lipworth et al. 2010 ) . A survey done about the general populace ‘s malignant neoplastic disease consciousness in the United Kingdom found that even in a first universe state, there still may be important lacks in footings of malignant neoplastic disease consciousness ( Adlard and Hume, 2003 ) . In developing states, the demand for information and public instruction sing malignant neoplastic disease may be even more profoun d. Cancer patients who are adolescent and immature grownups up to 29 old ages of age may see physical and emotional challenges that are rather distinguishable from those in patients of other age groups. A recent follow-up survey of stripling and immature grownup malignant neoplastic disease subsisters ( Kazar et al, 2010 ) reported that diagnosing during adolescence was associated with more negative self-reported psychosocial map and wellness beliefs, proposing that wellness perceptual experiences may impact well-being even in the long term. Persons in this age group may besides be more likely to seek wellness information online ( Koch-Weser et Al, 2010 ) and therefore potentially have different malignant neoplastic disease perceptual experiences than those in other age groups. Better understanding different public perceptual experiences and their beginnings would let wellness suppliers to turn to misperceptions, and assist concentrate information airing on the most needful subjects.â⠂¬Å" Research question/s † and/or â€Å" What is non yet known about the subject? †1. Amongst grownups go toing a third public infirmary in a resource-limited scene, what are some general perceptual experiences sing malignant neoplastic disease, and specifically leukaemia in kids or younger grownups? 2.What are these perceptual experiences based on? ( Personal experience? Others ‘ experiences? Media? Etc. )â€Å" Significance of the survey † and/or â€Å" What will healthcare be if the answer/s to the research question/s will be known? †By better understanding public perceptual experience of malignant neoplastic disease in kids, striplings and immature grownups, wellness suppliers may be able to: 1. Better reference misinterpretations and assist usher patients and households to get by with the unwellness 2. Better address the different perceptual experiences of malignant neoplastic disease in kids, striplings and immature grownups through media, wellness attention suppliers and patients ‘ several household membersObjective/s † and/or â€Å" What will this survey make? †1. To garner general perceptual experiences refering malignant neoplastic disease in kids, striplings and immature grownups, amongst grownups at a third public infirmary in Mindanao, Philippines 2. To place possible precedences for public consciousness publicity and protagonism for malignant neoplastic disease in kids, striplings and immature grownups. MethodologyResearch designA qualitative survey of the general perceptual experiences of malignant neoplastic disease in kids, stripling and immature grownups at a third public infirmary in Mindanao, Philippines is proposed utilizing semi-structured interview as the primary research attack. A personal interview was considered to be more appropriate for our puting instead than the usage of a telephone interview as non every family owns a telephone, and such studies are non common in our scene. A semi-structured interview was selected in stead of a cross-sectional study to better research the new subject. Furthermore, Pollock et Al. ( 2010 ) late found that qualitative interviewing may be more effectual than a questionnaire in researching persons ‘ ideas on malignant neoplastic disease information ; in comparing usage of questionnaires to interview to measure malignant neoplastic disease patients ‘ satisfaction, they showed that both the quality and item provided was richer utilizing colloquial interviews. Use of a semi-structured interview allows us to utilize inquiries that were prepared in front of clip in add-on to holding flexibleness to follow respondents ‘ train of idea as appropriate during the interview. Using open-ended inquiries will let patients to joint in their ain words their perceptual experiences instead than holding research workers categorise them, which may be peculiarly appropriate for this survey since there are no formal surveies researching this subject in the Philippines to our cognition. The interview procedure will get down in February of 2011 upon moralss blessing. Patients will be recruited from the clinics three times a hebdomad, with the end of enrolling 3-5 patients each clip. The brief interviews will be recorded on paper with infinite for every inquiry and besides be audio-recorded with participant consent, with interviews expected to last for 5-10 proceedingss. While there is an on-going audio-recording the participant is besides observed for their facial looks, position, or for non-verbal cues that can non be captured on tape. To promote variable responses, the interview manner is informal and involves open-ended inquiries. The information will be analyzed by inductive content analysis with coding. Subjects will be identified from transcripts of the audio-recordings or handwritten notes for comparing and analysis. Independent reappraisal and initial cryptography of the transcripts will be conducted by the survey research workers, with subsequent treatment a nd declaration of differences by consensus.PutingThe survey will be held at the General Pediatric Outpatient Department and Internal Medicine Department at JICA constructing during their clinic hours from Monday to Friday, 1-3pm, at the Southern Philippines Medical Center. Consultation starts at 8am-5pm with tiffin interruptions. The subspecialty clinics are separated. The cut off age for the general paediatricss section is 14 old ages old and below with upper limit of 50-70 patients and 14 old ages old and above for general internal medical specialty with a upper limit of 50-80 patients in a twenty-four hours. Outpatient audience fee is 30 pesos which hapless households in the bottom 30 percent income group with an mean monthly income of P6,475 in 2007 can afford ( National Statistical Coordination Board ) .ParticipantsInclusion StandardsEach of these standards must be met for inclusion: 1. Watchers/care-givers or healthy patients 18 old ages old or over showing for non-acute attention at ambulatory clinics 2. English- or Bisaya/Tagalog-speakers 3. Those physically and mentally able, are willing to be interviewed on the subject of malignant neoplastic disease and give their consentExclusion StandardsEither of these standards being met will take to exclusion: 1. Watchers/care-givers or healthy patient below 18 old ages old presenting for non-acute attention at ambulatory clinics 2. Watchers/care-givers of patients ( or patients themselves ) who are presently being managed for malignant neoplastic disease, or are showing to clinic for question malignant neoplastic disease ( Note: Watchers/patients who are former malignant neoplastic disease patients or household members of malignant neoplastic disease patients who have completed intervention may still be included if they meet all the above inclusion standards. ) This exclusion standard attempts to protect participants who may be more emotionally affected if they or their household member were presently undergoing malignant neoplastic disease therapy ; besides, as a group, their experiences and perceptual experiences are likely really different that they should be considered in a separate survey. On the other manus, many may hold aged household members with a history of malignant neoplastic disease, yet remain potentially valuable sources for this survey. )Definition of footingsChildren – used here by a nd large for those between ages 0-13 old ages Adolescent and Young Adult ( AYA ) – adapted from a normally used term in paediatric oncology, to mention to those aged between 13-29 old ages Children, Adolescent and Young Adult ( CYA ) – used in this survey to depict both Children and AYA as a group Cancer – any malignance in the described age groups, including leukaemia and solid tumourSampling processsThose who meet the inclusion standards will be included in the survey. A maximal fluctuation purposive sampling is used to deliberately include individuals of different age, gender, and evident socio-economic position, as their perceptual experiences may differ. An expected sum of no more than 40 participants are expected to be recruited to accomplish impregnation, when no new information appears to originate from subsequent interviews ( Patton, 1990 ) . Small samples can derive a better, more in-depth apprehension of topics such as persons ‘ general wellness perceptual experiences, as have been used in other surveies related to this subject. As a recent illustration, a qualitative survey with 25 survey participants was able to place of import subjects to steer future surveies with respects to understanding immature unwritten malignant neoplastic disease patients â⠂¬Ëœ perceptual experiences ( Grant et Al, 2010 ) .Datas assemblageMain result steps General perceptual experiences of malignant neoplastic disease Symptoms of malignant neoplastic disease Percepts of how malignant neoplastic disease is diagnosed and treated Percepts of impact of malignant neoplastic disease diagnosing, including results Expected beginnings of medical/financial/psychosocial support for CYA with malignant neoplastic disease Beginning of information/awareness sing malignant neoplastic diseaseData handling and analysisThe interviewer will do handwritten notes of the participants ‘ responses every bit closely as possible. Audio-recording, where agreed upon by the participant, will be included to ease accurate gaining control of informations. All the interviews will be conducted by a first twelvemonth paediatric occupant doctor, with informations analysis done together with one paediatric junior adviser, and two paediatric oncology/hematology advisers. The information will be transcribed, translated and coded line by line. Succeeding regular squad meetings will be held to integrate feedback and reconcile differences. The interview will be reviewed independently by at least two advisers working with CYA with malignant neoplastic disease to measure inquiries ‘ content cogency. A pilot testing of the interview procedure will be done foremost on 5-10 voluntaries ( e.g. clinical trainees or clinical support squad members ) with at least one other squad member observing, for initial feedback on interview manner and inquiry lucidity. Further pilot testing of the interview inquiries will so be done on an initial sample of 5-10 people run intoing the inclusion/exclusion standards at the out-patient section of the paediatric and internal medical specialty section of the Southern Philippines Medical Center.Ethical considerationsOral consent is proposed in stead of written consent for farther protection of patients ‘ individuality and confidentiality ; their real/full names are non required for the survey, and all participants will be identified by a codification name/number. Based on the inclusion and exclusion standards they should hold an accurate apprehension of the survey ‘s focal point. Patients may anticipate that privateness will be respected and the squad ‘s purpose to make no injury. A privy country at the out-patient section will be made ready in instance the topics requested a small privateness. For patients/caregivers of malignant neoplastic disease patients this issue might be sensitive for them, and those households affected presently with malignant neoplastic disease are therefore excluded from the survey. A participant who becomes uncomfortable during the interview may instantly halt at any clip and all are invited to give their ideas openly. Participants are free to inquire inquiries and can bespeak more information about the survey. Dummy Consequence: In a qualitative person interview survey, grownups showing to a public third infirmary in Mindanao had a by and large ___perspective sing malignant neoplastic diseases in kids, striplings and immature grownups. Cancer is described as being _____ and survival is____ . Some of the most common symptoms they knew were ______ . Families who seek medical attention from this establishment are from the different categories of the society but largely from the ____ or ___ . Percepts of how malignant neoplastic disease is diagnosed and managed included ____ . Expected outcomes most normally described included _____ . Anticipated beginnings of support for malignant neoplastic disease patients named included _______ Main beginnings of information about malignant neoplastic disease described were____ , _____ , _____ .

Acnielsen m’sia enters strategic alliance with 99 speedmart Essay

The Malaysian National News Agency KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 (Bernama) — Marketing information provider, ACNielsen and 99 Speedmart retail chain has signed a strategic alliance which will give ACNielsen access to 99 Speedmart point-of-sale (POS) data and provides 99 Speedmart with a suite of reports via ACNielsen’s Retailer Advisor Personal software 99 Speedmart offers a wide and comprehensive range of in-demand, essential and fast moving consumer goods. Its 44 outlets will be increased to 50 outlets by year-end, with an additional five to be added by 2007 ACNielsen Malaysia managing director, Steve Watt said ACNielsen is delighted with the partnership which will enable both organisations to leverage each other’s strength to provide insights to the market The alliance will see ACNielsen providing market information from ACNielsen’s Retail Index service, a continuous monitor of market trends based on retail audit data imput, to assist 99 Speedmart with their st rategic planning and expansion plans. U Mobile Expands Distribution Outlets Through Exclusive Partnership with Leading Mini Market Chain Kuala Lumpur, 10 June 2013–U Mobile Sdn Bhd, Malaysia’s most dynamic and innovative 3G mobile operator, is bringing its products and services closer to consumers through an initial two-year exclusive contract with 99 Speedmart – one of the leading mini market chains in Malaysia. The partnership is yet another innovative and strategic initiative by U Mobile to expand its reach to a broader consumer market and provide greater accessibility of its products to consumers. This fruitful collaboration with 99 Speedmart entails an exclusive distribution of U Mobile prepaid SIM Packs and mobile reloads in over 430 99 Speedmart outlets within Klang Valley. Customers and current U Mobile prepaid subscribers can enjoy greater access to U Mobile products and services as they are now available in outlets closer to their homes or their whereabouts, making it more convenient for th em to top-up and purchase a new SIM pack. Speaking about the partnership, Jaffa Sany Ariffin, Chief Executive Officer of U Mobile said, â€Å"By offering our products at 99 Speedmart, we now address a broader range of customers who normally shop in these outlets. They are part of our target markets for the prepaid segment and the availability of UMobile prepaid products in these outlets will make it convenient for them to stay connected with friends and family.† â€Å"U Mobile is delighted to partner with 99 Speedmart, which has different sets of shoppers and has strong fundamental key retail measurements that our company can leverage on. We are set to see tremendous growth in our prepaid segment this year† he added. 99 Speedmart is a mini market retail chain that carries an assortment of groceries ranging more than 3,000 items in an inviting and well-organised environment with high in-stock position. The collaboration is another addition to the company’s existi ng partnership with other non-traditional distribution channels, including Giant, Singer, 7-Eleven, Cosway, Senheng and senQ stores, making the telco’s total distribution channels to more than 22,000 outlets nationwide.